Split-crown feather duster

Anamobaea orstedii

The Split-crown feather duster is a species of feather duster worm. It is a sedentary marine polychaete tube worms where the head is concealed by feathery branchiae. They build tubes out of parchment, sand, and bits of shell. Feather-duster worms have a crown of feeding appendages or radioles in two fan-shaped clusters projecting from their tubes when under water. Each radiole has paired side branches making a two-edged comb for filter feeding.
Feather duster Closeup of Feather Duster from Tunicate Cove, South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Stann Creek, Belize Anamobaea orstedii,Belize,Dangriga,Marine reserve,Split crowned Feather Duster,Split-crown feather duster,Tunicate Cove,closeup,featherduster,macro,marine animals,underwater

Appearance

This feather duster has two semi-circular crowns of radioles forming a single crown, split in the middle. The color and patterning on the crown is variable, usually shades of brown, maroon, violet or orange-brown. Both halves are a mirror image of each other. Often with light tan or white spots and bands. The parchment-like tube where the worm-like part of the animal resides is usually hidden.
Size: whole animal up to 6 cm, crown up to 5 cm.
Split-crown Feather Duster Split-crown Feather Duster, South Water Caye, Belize Anamobaea onstedii,Anamobaea orstedii,Belize,South Water Caye,Split crowned Feather Duster,Split-crown feather duster

Naming

Synonym: Hypsicomus oerstedii
Split crowned Feather Duster South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Belize Anamobaea orstedii,Belize,Dangriga,Split crowned Feather Duster,Split-crown feather duster

Distribution

Common all over the Caribbean.

Habitat

This feather duster lives on the reefs and surrounding areas. It is usually solitary or in small groups, where the animals are all different in color or patterns.
Depth: ranges from 6 m down to 25 m.

References:

Some text fragments are auto parsed from Wikipedia.

http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=caribbean_diving_guide&id=109
Status: Unknown
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionAnnelida
ClassPolychaeta
OrderSabellida
FamilySabellidae
GenusAnamobaea
SpeciesAnamobaea orstedii
Photographed in
Belize